NIÑA ​ANINIAS

Cream puffs or petits choux à la crème are delicious pastry invention. There is no other way of putting it... just plain genius.The one from a box, however... a really dumb idea! I know because I tried it. It was qué horror! Never again. No matter how enticing the picture in that box looks like, don't touch it... it will be the end of your appetite.I vowed that the next time I eat this miniature hills of comfort, it will either be from a proper panadería (bakery) or something that I made with my two brilliant hands... and on occassion, my mouth. I have a distinct urge to try out uncooked concoctions, so sue me.The classic version, which I hope I will make in the very near future is a light and airy pastry with a silky creme filling either injected into it or sandwiched by slicing puffs in half.My version is a petits choux à la crème alright but with a modern twist. I was elated when I took it out of the oven. As if I just painted my recent masterpiece. I stared at it dreamily for quite some time. It might not be Picasso but it is an art. I would have stared at it longer if not for my boys who were more excited than I was. Clearing throats and bravely asking when they can try it out.

I didn't create abstract puffs like the classic one, where the predictability of it's unpredictable rising occurs. My version started as geometrics, screaming of certainty and absolute precision but then it transformed and bloomed like a flower. Have you witnessed a caterpillar morphing into a butterfly? No? Yeah, me too... would be nice though to see that happen. Going back to my cream puffs version, as it baked, the casings opened up to expose the filling, which in turn laminated the soft creme inside. The base puffed with just ever so slightly, it's like a ballerina's tutu. I dusted them with icing sugar. Pick one up. Delivered it gloriously.... into the trap and it got gobbled up and eaten in seconds. And yes, the minute my boys saw me, their hands dove right in. A supossedly edible centerpiece were gone too soon. I still think of its beauty now and again.The melody of texture amazed me. There's a crunch on the outside pastry, a pastry doused with creme, there's a creme that's baked and there's a fresh creme oozing out of it. Indeed a masterpiece.

This is the first of my many doodles to follow... who doesn't love doodling?! It's oodles of fun! In this category of Recipe De-mystified, I go and re-visit dishes I've done and share to you my beautiful readers other ways of using parts of recipes and turning it into something new to keep things fresh.You'll enjoy deconstructing other recipes too and just picking out parts that you think will work in other dishes!First stop is the fried apple pie, ala MickeyD's. Make sure your oil is deep-fried hot so the pastry don't get sogged with oil. Eat 'em while it's hot... not tot hot to burn your tongue though... let it cool like few mins then munch away!

Oven baked. This is the best method for me because I am not a big fun of deep frying. Don't get me wrong,,, I love, love, lurve eating deep fried food... I just don't like how the oil smell won't let go of my hair, clothes and skin after... I can't shower straight away from kitchen heat... so resting while I smell like deep fried food isn't my cup of tea!*I brush the outside of pastry with the sauce... that made it crispy yum.

Swimming pool theme birthday cake... snacks inspired, burger and ham sandwich all made from sponge and chocolate cakes. Other culprits, fondant, coffee buttercream and strawberry jam. They were all fun cakes.

Doing it ala Masterchef challenge... no recipes... can't make you taste it but below are photo recipes as clues... fill in the blanks and have fun! Of course I have the detailed recipe and of course I can give it to you... ask if you're intrigued enough :)-AcousticChef, cookin' one tune at a time!

Author

I didn't know squat about cooking few years back. Give me set of issues in the office and I'll tell you how to solve it. Hand me a recipe book and I'll throw it back at you. I was that hopeless.Fast forward now and somehow I think my skills got reversed,,, let's just say I'm more interested in how to be domesticated than climb the ladder.This page is all about...If you can picture the tasteThen you can re-create!